This invention relates generally to flipper-type pinball games of the surface projectile type and more particularly to such pinball games wherein duration of game play is based at least in part on the passage of time.
Traditionally, flipper-type pinball games have been of the type employing a playing field which has a downwardly inclined playing surface and a number of scoring targets and other obstacles disposed thereon. One or more sets of flippers are also disposed on the playing field, and a predetermined number of balls are shot onto the playing field for actuating the scoring targets in response to ball play. During ball play the ball is propelled from scoring target to scoring target in response to forces supplied by the obstacles and by player operation of the flippers. A number of such ball plays has generally defined a game.
There has been an attempt in the past to depart from the traditional flipper-type pinball definition of game play wherein game play is determined by a specified number of ball plays. For example, one flipper-type pinball game is believed to have provided a predetermined amount of play time in which to engage in as many ball plays as possible. For certain playfield scoring achievements, the running of the game play time period appears to have been suspended for a short duration. Time also appears to have been suspended between ball plays when the pinball left the playfield. In this game, the timing element and playfield elements were controlled electromechanically.
With the advent of microprocessor-controller technology, microprocessors soon were utilized as controllers for pinball games. In essence the microprocessor and its peripheral interface components replaced the relay-type electrochemical controller for implementing many of the same functions previously achieved by electromechanical games. Such microprocessor controlled pinball games have contained certain features which were time controlled. For example, some prior art microprocessor pinball games have employed scoring targets which were enabled for operation only during certain time periods. As an example, one target provided a score of a higher value during a predetermined time period, and another target was enabled for operation only during a predetermined time period.
However, the prior art has failed to provide a commercially successful separate type pinball game of the type where game play is determined primarily by time and not by the number of ball plays. It is believed that the shortcomings of the prior art in providing a commercially successful game have been due to lack of game play features such as those hereinafter described and claimed.